Experts warn that the more than 5,500 unfilled NHS vacancies identified by a new report are a ‘serious cause for concern’ for the dental workforce.
The Fixing NHS Dentistry report was released by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today (4 April). As of March 2024, it found that there were more than 5,500 unfilled NHS positions including 2,700 dentist roles. Many of these postings had been vacant for at least 180 days.
The report suggests that reform of the NHS dental contract could improve the workforce shortfall as it would counter ‘fundamental issues around the affordability of NHS work’. The British Dental Association (BDA) presented evidence to the PAC which found that the average practice loses approximately £42 delivering a set of NHS dentures.
The Labour government has committed to reforming the NHS contract, though no timeline has been laid out. The PAC report expresses concern over the lack of detail in recently announced plans. It said clarity over the cost of reforming health service dentistry would be necessary to address the issue of affordability.
Shiv Pabary, chair of the BDA General Dental Practice Committee, said: ‘MPs have arrived at an inescapable conclusion, that tweaks at the margins have not and will not save NHS dentistry.
‘We’ve never budged from our view that government’s past and present have needed to go further and faster. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and start on the fundamental reform required to give this service a future.’
Solutions to the workforce crisis
Neil Carmichael, chief executive of the Association of Dental Groups (ADG), said that addressing the workforce crisis would require a ‘total team approach’. He emphasised that ‘every appointment with a dentist requires a dental nurse to be present’.
Dental experts have previously highlighted skill mix as a solution to workforce problems. Simon Thackery, president of the British Association of Private Dentistry, touched on the concept at a Dental Leadership Network event focused on optimising the dental workforce in 2024.
He said: ‘Some dentists will have a chip on their shoulder that they are the best person to do everything but that’s not necessarily the case. If I’m going to delegate a task to someone else, it’s because they are going to do it better.’
Another potential solution to dental workforce shortages that has been suggested is expansion of the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE). However the examination was not mentioned with the PAC report.
Neil Carmichael said: ‘We need to cut red tape to get the trained dentists who are currently working outside their profession re-engaged through revising the ORE system.’
In November 2024, the GDC confirmed that the ORE is now operating at the ‘maximum capacity possible under the current contract’. This followed the announcement in September 2024 that there would an additional sitting of both parts of the exam in 2025.
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